Immunotherapy for Organ Rejuvenation
Date and Time
Dr. Lagares will discuss emerging immunotherapy approaches designed to eliminate aging cells and restore tissue repair, with the potential to promote regeneration of damaged organs. Drawing on recent work from his former Harvard laboratory published in Science Translational Medicine, the talk will explore how these findings may create new therapeutic opportunities for age-related lung diseases, including pulmonary fibrosis, while opening broader possibilities in regenerative medicine and aging.
David Lagares, PhD, MBA
CEO and Founder | Zenon Biotech
Co-Founder | Mediar Therapeutics
Former Professor of Medicine | Harvard Medical School
Dr. Lagares is a serial scientist-entrepreneur, company builder, and operator with more than 18 years of experience translating breakthrough science into therapeutic innovation. His former laboratory at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital pioneered first-in-class “mechano-therapeutics” and “senolytics,” uncovering novel mechanisms involved in aging, fibrosis, and cancer and identifying new therapeutic approaches to regenerate chronically damaged organs. His academic work was supported by more than $10 million in NIH and foundation funding.
These discoveries, published in leading journals including Nature and Science, led to patented therapeutic platforms and the creation of two Boston-based biotech companies, Mediar Therapeutics and Zenon Biotech. Together, these innovations have attracted > $200 million in financing and advanced programs from target discovery to Phase 2 clinical trials.
Today, Dr. Lagares serves as Founder, CEO, and President of Zenon Biotech, where he leads the development of first-in-class therapeutics targeting mechanobiology-driven diseases. His career sits at the intersection of scientific discovery, entrepreneurship, and execution: building companies designed to translate pioneering science into medicines for patients.
Dr. Lagares earned his Ph.D. in Medical Research from the Autonomous University of Madrid, completed postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School, and previously served as Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He also earned an Executive MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management.